So What's Obamacare Mean for You If..You Aren't Enrolled, Need Enrollment Later, or are Looking for an Exemption?

Now that the first official Obamacare enrollment period is over, what are your other options?  For instance, if you still don't have any insurance? 

--If you were in line, you have to get back in the computer and sign up by April 15th.  Here's how.

--There may be other options, like Medicaid in your state., or CHIP insurance for your children. 

--Some people are exempt from being required to by enrolled in health insurance because of economic hardship, religious convictions, or other reasons, and can file for an exemption.  Here's the list of exemptions, and how to file for them.

--You may not need health insurance coverage now, but something could happen to change your status or health insurance needs between now and the next enrollment period in the fall--a loss of job, divorce, the birth of a child, etc.  Like job-related health care, you can enroll outside of the enrollment period for those events.  Here's a page of information on life events that would allow you to file for health insurance on the exchanges before the next enrollment period.  There are even some complicated life changes that would make you qualified to fill between enrollment periods.  If you think you might qualify, call
1-800-318-2596.

--And, if you are an enrolled member of a federally recognized Indian tribe, you can enroll any time, and can change plans at any time.

Another Health Insurance Option: Can You Now Get Medicaid? Can Your Kids Get Health Insurance?

Signing up for insurance exchanges is in the last two weeks (for this sign-up period): you have a deadline of March 31 to sign up for insurance on the private exchange, until it opens up again in the fall. But many states have taken the option to expand Medicaid, the public health insurance for poor people.  There is no deadline for Medicaid.  However, some states refused to expand their Medicaid coverage, and some people in those states are stuck: they have incomes too high to qualify for Medicaid, but too low to buy insurance on the new exchanges.  For states where it's expanded, however, many people now qualify and can sign up for Medicaid anytime without deadline.

How do you find out?  See this page, and pick out your state for more specific information. When you choose your state, you will get a short rundown on whether or not your state expanded Medicaid.  You will also get a link to your state's Medicaid page with more specific income and qualification information. 

Also, some low-income children may qualify for CHIP, the Children's Health Insurance Program.  Find out if your kids qualify in your state.   If you need more information about CHIP and how to apply in your state, call 1-877-543-7669. 

Finding Out About Your Tax Breaks and Credits Under Obamacare

Everybody knows about the healthcare website where you are supposed to sign up for the health insurance exchanges if you don't have adequate insurance.  But for individuals and businesses, those benefits have tax implications, like tax breaks and credits.  How do you find out about those in detail?  With the IRS, of course. The IRS has a page with links telling individuals and businesses about the implications of the Affordable Care Act.  There is also a Q and A page for individuals and businesses. 

For businesses, there is also an independent calculator to figure out the implications of the business tax credit on their taxes--and their employee's health coverage.  The Small Business Majority has a calculator that figures out a business's tax credit under the new law, based on the total payroll, number of employees, and the employer contribution. 

Compare Your Health Insurance Options, and Subsidies Paying for It

The health care coverage rollout has been something of a FUBAR in many places.  Some of the states took the program and ran with it, and it's going well.  Kentucky's Kynect is one such place. Maryland's state exchange is another success story.  But say you are in a state like Ohio, or over 30 others that have no exchange.  Where can you find out about your health care options--AND your possible government subsidy--even in the middle of the night, when the healthcare.gov site is down for repairs?

Some guys from California have been noodling around, and have come up with a site called The Health Sherpa.  You can't sign up from this site, but you can put in your zip code, situation (like age, who you are trying to insure, etc.), and which plans you would like to look at (catastrophic, bronze, silver, gold, or platinum.  This refers to what percentage of expenses are covered by the plan).  It will tell you what the cost is AND figure out your expenses after the government subsidy contributes.  WARNING-- don't put commas in your income--for instance, if you type in that you make 20,000 dollars, you will be told you are not eligible for subsidies, but if you type in 20000, you will told you are eligible.  Don't confuse the computer. 

It also tells you how you can apply by phone or online, without healthcare.gov.  This is not an official site, but it marries the health options available in states without their own exchanges, and the subsidy information.  By the way, you can also get the subsidy information separately at the Kaiser Family Foundation calculator. So figure in the subsidies available to you (you are eligible if you are within four times the poverty level). 

Finding Out About the New Health Care Law--by Phone and by Computer Chat. (and Guessing How Much Help You Can Get)

The Affordable Care Act will continue its rollout.  Parts of the law have already taken effect: the prohibition of refusing health insurance for children with pre-existing conditions, the option to include children up to 26 years old on their parent's policies, etc.  Starting October 1st, the open enrollment period starts for the health insurance marketplace, and will run till March 31st.  But where do you call for more information?  And what sorts of financial breaks might you be eligible to get?

First of all, if you have health insurance under a plan that is "grandfathered, (that existed as of March 23, 2010), you don't have to sign up for new coverage.  But if you don't have insurance, or want to look into changing your plan, you can explore your options.

Each state will have different market conditions: some have expanded Medicaid, some not.  Some have their own state exchanges, and some states opted to have their exchange run by the federal government.  So where can you go for information?

There's a toll free number open 24/7 : 1-800-318-2596.  It's staffed by humans all the time, who will talk to you.  If you want a computer chat, you can go here.  If you want to read up first, go to healthcare.gov.

But what kind of subsidies may you be able to get to help you pay for health insurance?  One place that you can get a good guesstimate is the interactive site run by the Henry Kaiser Family Foundation, the subsidy calculator.  Put in your income, the number of adults and kids in your household, and whether you use tobacco, and you can get an idea of the subsidy that you could be eligible for.  They also have an FAQ page dealing with the ACA.

 

Free Counseling for Medicare Patients and Their Families

One of the things we found on the Needymeds site that we covered in the last post was this tasty tidbit: the feds provide funding to states to create counseling for people on Medicare and their families.  How do you find access to that counseling in your state?  You go to this map of all the state health insurance assistance (SHIP) programs for each of the states.  The assistance may vary:  it may include telephone counseling, or regular sites that schedule sessions. It may include speakers that can be recruited by  But if you are eligible for Medicare, you are eligible for this counseling.  You can learn about Part D (Medicare drug prescription), alternate health plans, and long-care insurance.  And you would be hearing it from a volunteer who has no interest in selling you a product--a rare opportunity in insurance.  For more information about Medicare, of course, you can see the Medicare web page.    To explore all your health care options and possible providers, you can try this interactive government website.  Input your information, like age, circumstances (like pre-existing conditions, or whether you have insurance right now), and where you live, and they can pop out a list of possible providers and their costs.

Tax Credits from the Health Reform Law

The new Health Care Act is now actually two years old, but many have been holding their breath until the Supreme Court's thumbs up in June.  Some folks are still holding their breath, perhaps until they turn blue, but everybody else is getting on with it. 

Employers with less than 50 employees, health coverage is optional, but a tax credit is currently available to employers with less than 25 full time employees with average salaries of less than $50,000 (less for nonprofit employers).  The credit is for up to 35% of the costs to the employer.  By 2014, that will grow to 50%.  For more information and another perspective, see the page on ehealthinsurance (the tax credit for employers starts on page 10). For the technical details from the IRS themselves, see the IRS page on the credit, including the form you need to claim it.

So if you are an individual, do you get a credit to help you with insurance?  Not just yet.  However, in 2014, there will be a tax credit available to low and moderate income individuals to help with health insurance costs.  In the meantime, if you need help picking through your available options, you can try this interactive page to figure out your most affordable move.

Health Insurance Help for Trade Displaced Workers, Some Pensioners

We previously discussed job retraining programs and benefits available to people who have lost their jobs when the jobs moved overseas.  The health coverage tax credit is something else for those workers, and their dependents.  It helps both workers who are receiving Trade Adjustment Assistance payments (TAA) or whose pension plans have been taken over by the Pension Guarantee Corporation (PGC) who are also 55 years or older.  It pays nearly 80% of your health insurance premiums, either by paying that portion directly to the insurance company every month, or by allowing you to apply for an annual tax credit for that portion of your health premium payments.  To see if you qualify for this assistance, check this page by the IRS.   Some states also have a “bridge” program that will help pay health premiums till the HCTC begins.  Here’s a page with a list of states that have such a program.
If you need health insurance, here's an interactive page that lets you answer questions about your situation (state, family situation, finances, etc.) and lets you explore your options.

Some Health Insurance Options for Artists

Health care is being addressed in one way or another for many population groups, but it’s always been a toughie for independent workers in America, but especially in the (mostly) financially precarious world of artists. Not every place is as art-friendly as Austin, TX, which has health insurance programs for musicians. But there are some possibilities for artists to explore in their search for affordable health insurance.


AHIRC, the Artist’s Health Resource Center, offers guides to health insurance opportunities in several states and regions. They also have a state-by-state guide to insurance, drugs, as well as any programs set up just for artists.

But if you are a lone artist, how are you supposed to get the advantage of group rates? At least one non-profit group specializes in just that: Fractured Atlas. Artists can buy a policy through FA not only in health insurance, but casualty and liability. They have an online state-by-state guide as to what their members can get along with coverage, including a “health proponent,” a service to help guide members through the system, make appointments, and co-ordinate care when necessary. Also, see their Artist’s Insurance Guide with suggestions on everything that artists—or artist’s organizations, like theaters or dance groups—might need in the way of insurance.

Comparing Insurance Costs and Options--And Comparing Hospitals

Since I last wrote about the Healthcare.gov page in July, when it was brand new, features have been added that allow you to see different health care options for your situation.  One new feature is a comparison of the quality of health care facilities (hospitals, nursing homes, and home health care agencies) within a geographic area.  Just choose the type of facilities you want compared, put in your zip code, and it shows you various criteria on quality.

Another possibilityfor comparing health plans is the Health Sherpa. Www.thehealthsherpa.com This site, set up by some California techies, canhelp you find a plan when the federal site is down.
A feature has been added to find sources of health insurance and affordable health care.  Under "find insurance options," you can answer a few questions about your area, age, dependents (they don't ask for identification, just the basic info), and they lay out some options for you: private insurance for individuals, insurance through work, high risk pools, medicaid, or "finding care you can afford" (translation: public health care facilities,)  These include public clinics, HIV clinics, and Hill-Burton obligated facilities (hospitals that provide low-cost care for the indigent).  Under "health insurance plans for individuals and families," it will lay out all the options, plus some ways to narrow down your options (by deductible, by coverage options, by premium ranges, etc.)  They take great pains to note that the estimates are in fact only that, and that you may be charged more, but at least you have something to go on.

However, they left out the drug prescription component for the underinsured and noninsured.  Try this site and this site to cover your options on finding affordable drugs.

Helpful New Website on the Health Care Front

The federal government's newsest website on healthcare http://www.healthcare.gov/, attempts many things, some of which they do well. It's a good go-to site to find out about the new health care reform law (the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. It explains the effect of the new law on health care coverage and eligibility for various groups, like young people, children, the chronically ill and elderly. It even has a link to the full text of it, if you want to wade through all 900+ pages. However, some of the law has yet to unfold--think of any law as a cake that is not yet a cake till it's been in the oven. That oven would be the federal regulations that give any law its shape and impact, and those are still in the making.

Likewise, the section of the page dealing with coverage options attempts to cover stuff still in the formative stages. The health care pools that will be created to provide coverage for higher-risk people have not yet been created. If you want a really good page with your health insurance coverage options clearly spelled out, a better bet is the site by the Foundation for Health Coverage Education. One of the best features on it is the health care matrix created for each state, giving you your full set of public and private insurance options wherever you live. For some more stuff on health care when you can't afford health care, see more at my other site, No Free Money.

Some Good Extensions into the New Year

Some good things have been extended into 2010. For workers who have lost (or will lose) their jobs between the end of November and the end of February, 2010, the subsidy of COBRA health benefits will be extended. Workers losing their jobs in that time period will still be eligible for a 65% subsidy of their premiums.

The $8,000 tax credit for first time buyers has also been extended to purchases between January 1 and April 30th, 2010. If there is a binding home sales contract signed before April 30th--and the sale is finalized by June 30th--the tax credit still stands. The legislation also offers a chance for repeat home buyers to get a $6,500 tax credit, with the same time restrictions.

Good Stuff on the Health Insurance Front

Some found goodies for people who are having problems finding or keeping their health insurance. The new stimulus package has a provision to help newly unemployed people get a subsidy to pay for their COBRA coverage. COBRA allows you to keep your employer health insurance for 18 months after you lose your job (in companies of 20 or more), but you must pick up the cost. The new law means that the government can subsidize 65% of the premiums for the first 9 months if you lose your job between September, 2008 and December, 2009. Note that it's only for those with no other access to group insurance. See the Chicago Tribune's blog for further details on its application, and how to get coverage. If you have any questions, call the hotline of the U.S. Employee Benefits Security Administration (1-866-444-3272) to clear them up.

Also, there's a good website on how to get coverage in the first place. The Foundation for Health Coverage Education has a website that gives health insurance information on each state, from both public and private sources. You can call up a matrix from your own state to find out your health insurance options, or take a short quiz to find out possibilities. Just plug in your state, answer a couple questions, and they will spit out some possibilities. If you want to talk to a human, try their toll-free hotline (800-234-1317) 24/7.